The Best K-12 Education Technology Blogs

If it takes a village to raise a child, how many people does it take to train an educator? It’s hard to say, but 50 helping hands seems like a good place to start. In the spirit of community, collaboration and information sharing, EdTech: Focus on K–12 has rounded up 50 ed-tech blogs that we deem must-reads for the K–12 community. We launched our first Must-Read IT list last year to great response so we hope that you all enjoy this year's batch of blogs as well. These blogs are a mix of voices and include blogs authored by teachers, administrators and technology vendors. They share real-world classroom experiences, offer inspiration and distribute valuable best practices. This list was built in part by you, our readers. Without further ado, here is the 2013 Honor Roll: Purely Paperless We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly digital, and Montana elementary school teacher Kate Peila is a paperless girl. Read the blog: purelypaperless.blogspot.com The Daring Librarian EdReach Mr.

How we will learnHow Inquiry Can Enable Students to Become Modern Day de Tocquevilles Observations of early America by Alexis de Tocqueville helped articulate the nation’s values. With the guidance of an inquiry based teacher, students create their own interpretations of democracy in America.8 Steps to Create an Infographic1. Pick a Topic / Collect Data There are many data sources available, such as Google public data, which is a great starting point for data collection. Advertising-Agriculture-Antiques-Architecture-Arts & Crafts-Automotive-Aviation-Books-Chemicals-Collectibles- Communications & Media-Computers-Consulting-Design-Disabilities-Education-Electronics-Employment-Entertainment- Fashion-Financing-Food-Gambling-Games-Government-Health-Hobbies-Home & Garden-Hospitality-Information-Jewelry- Jewelry-Law-Music-Parenting-Retail-Real Estate-Religion RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Retail Management-Science-Security-Software-Sports-Telecommunication-Transportation-Travel-Video-Weather. 2. Find References for Your Material Over 80% of visual is related to color, which conveys information and provides the user with other operational benefits such as a unique identity. 3. Research Infographics are data driven, visual pieces of content.

The Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks, and TutorialsThe Apple iPad is an amazing tablet, and to help you get the most out of it, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of every tip, trick, and tutorial for you. Read on for more. Note: This article was originally published earlier this year, but we’ve updated it with a real lot more content since then, so we’re republishing it for you. We’ll be keeping this page updated as we find more great articles, so you should bookmark this page for future reference.

Top 50 School Library BlogsOne look at the titles of blogs narrated by school librarians reveals the evolution of a profession within an institution that is at a pivotal point. Charged with the vital duty of promoting digital literacy, today’s librarians are daring, unquiet, sassy and definitely e-literate. This list features the top school library blogs ordered by website popularity metrics and social media engagement including the number of websites that link to a blog and number of followers on Twitter. We commend these school librarians for taking the time to share their ideas, experiences, and advice with the school library community.

EdTechTeacher BlogTom Daccord, Director of EdTechTeacher (MA) Justin Reich Co-Founder of EdTechTeacher (MA) Greg Kulowiec, Instructor & Presenter (MA) Beth Holland, Communications & Instruction (RI) Shawn McCusker, Instructor & Presenter, (IL) Patrick Larkin, Senior Associate & Instructor (MA)Technology Front and CenterInnovative Instruction | Feature Technology Front and Center A new high school in Texas will combine technology with project-based learning. By Bridget McCrea03/23/11 Armed with a $3 million Texas Title I Priority Schools grant, Belton Independent School District in Texas will open the doors to an innovative high school concept this fall. Currently in the development phase, Belton New Tech High School at Waskow will combine technology and project-based learning to create a learning environment that Principal Stan Whittle hopes will entice students to "take ownership of their educations and their futures."

Infographics for EducatorsWe live in a world of quick consumption, bite-size morsels of information, and visualizations of just about everything. All of this has become boiled down into the uber-popular infographic. They pop up from time to time on Edudemic and I often have a tough time determining if I should actually run versus another. I’ve been saving up all of my favorite infographics for a post just like this one. An all-in-one no-extra-clicking-necessary post where you can scroll for miles and have a never-ending stream of visualized goodness.Teaching and Learning: Using iPads in the ClassroomUpdated 01/2014 If I had thirty iPads in my class, what would I do with them? How would I use them to help my students learn better and help me teach better? Perhaps a better question is what would I do with them that I could not do with other tools that are available and cheaper? Certainly iPads are cheaper than computers, desktop or laptop, and they are more mobile.

Podcasting 101 for K–12 LibrariansFEATURE Podcasting 101 for K–12 Librarians by Esther Kreider Eash Our 21st-century school librarians can lead the way with innovative programming, new resources, and creative instruction. But first, they need to learn what podcasting is all about.Educational Leadership:How Teachers Learn:Learning with Blogs and WikisFew ideas about teachers' professional growth resonate with me more than those of Richard Elmore, professor of educational leadership at Harvard, who has gone as far as to argue that school structures make learning for adults unlikely at best and nothing short of impossible at worst. In a 2002 report for the Albert Shanker Institute, Elmore wrote, As expectations for increased student performance mount and the measurement and publication of evidence about performance becomes part of the public discourse about schools, there are few portals through which new knowledge about teaching and learning can enter schools; few structures or processes in which teachers and administrators can assimilate, adapt, and polish new ideas and practices; and few sources of assistance for those who are struggling to understand the connection between the academic performance of their students and the practices in which they engage. Changing Times, Changing Tools Reading Blogs

LangwitchesI have been a fan of Visible Thinking Routines which were developed by Project Zero from Havard, for a while now. I have used these routines with students, as blogging routines and in professional development workshops. The Visible Thinking Routines website explains that: